<p><em>If the JAM trinity (Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhar cards, and Mobile numbers) take off, it will be a catalyst in fostering further growth, writes <strong>Manish Kumar Pathak</strong></em><br><br>The terms ‘agriculture’ and ‘rural’ are no longer synonymous. The changing rural landscape has resulted in a scenario where even if there is deficient monsoon in the rural landscape, there will not be a massive effect on the rural spending according to the prediction made by the India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra). Also the rural economy seems to be better protected than before in dealing with deficient rainfall, as the income generated from non-agricultural activities amounts to nearly two-thirds of the net revenue.<br><br>However, a poor monsoon will still have a bearing on the agricultural sector; the evolving landscape of the countryside has meant that rural economy will not take a severe hit. The industrial and services sector, has helped in carving out substantial share of non-agricultural activities in the rural income. The dearth of space in industrial hubs in cities and towns are forcing new industrial establishments to turn their focus to the villages, the rural areas which were previously uncharted territories. Hence the effect that trickles out from this is that the rural economy is benefitting a greater deal than the urban economy. Also, this makes the economy less susceptible to deficient monsoons. The vocational industries like handicrafts, and non-farm activities like processing, constructional repairs etc are gaining a stronger foothold in the villages.<br><br>The effect of urbanisation is more profound when it comes to consumption of goods and services, and the aptitude of the rural population is increasingly becoming more urbanised, and hence the spending towards availing these facilities has also seen a growth. Ind-Ra believes, that if the JAM trinity (Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhar cards, and Mobile numbers) take off, it will be a catalyst in fostering further growth.<br><br>If this JAM trinity can be linked, and as proposed if the subsidies are rolled out, there will be real progress and then the rural economy will further see progressive trends.</p>
